The field of the present invention relates to targeted television ad replacement using a so-called “smart TV.” In particular, systems and methods are disclosed herein for terminating or altering targeted television ad replacement in response to a user-control action.
A goal of modern television advertising is targeted selection of advertisements for individual households or even for specific viewers in those households. Numerous techniques and methodologies are available for (i) collecting user profile information from one or more sources (online or offline), (ii) using that profile information to select one or more targeted advertisements, (iii) using the profile information to select one or more programs or channels for presenting the targeted advertisements, and (iv) correlating subsequent viewer actions after presenting the targeted advertisements. Some of these techniques and methodologies are described in:                U.S. Pat. No. 7,861,260 entitled “Targeted television advertisements based on online behavior” issued Dec. 28, 2010 to Shkedi;        U.S. Pat. No. 8,566,164 entitled “Targeted online advertisements based on viewing or interacting with television advertisements” issued Oct. 22, 2013 in the names of Shkedi et al.;        U.S. Pat. No. 9,083,853 entitled “Targeted television advertisements associated with online users' preferred television programs or channels” issued Jul. 14, 2015 in the name of Shkedi;        U.S. Pat. No. 8,051,444 entitled “Targeted television advertisements selected on the basis of an online user profile and presented with television programs or channels related to that profile” issued Nov. 1, 2011 to Shkedi; and        U.S. Pat. No. 7,890,609 entitled “Requesting offline profile data for online use in a privacy-sensitive manner” issued Feb. 15, 2011 to Shkedi.        
Typically a targeted television advertisement is inserted into the stream of presented television content in place of a non-targeted advertisement. A “targeted advertisement” refers to an advertisement shown to users based on taking into account user-specific profile information. A “non-targeted advertisement” refers to an advertisement shown to a large group of users without use of user-specific profile information; it may be “targeted” in a different sense, such as selected based on broad demographic characteristics, such as the demographic characteristics of users who watch a particular television program. A variety of technological approaches are employed to achieve proper insertion of targeted television advertisements into the stream of presented television content.
In some cases, capabilities of a so-called “smart television” (i.e., smart TV 100 shown in FIG. 1) are utilized to achieve insertion of the targeted, replacement television advertisement in place of a non-targeted television advertisement. A smart television, like any other television, has a connection to one or more television signal source devices. Examples of television signal source devices 130 can include, but are not limited to: a digital antenna; a set-top box (STB) for cable, satellite, or Internet Protocol Television (IPTV); a digital video recorder (DVR); a so-called entertainment-oriented device (EOD) such as a game console or a so-called “Over The Top” device (OTT; examples include Apple TV® or Roku®). Smart TV 100 receives from television signal source device 130 a television signal feed 200 that has encoded thereon television content and presents via television display 101 the encoded television content. Television content, as used herein in any context, may comprise audio or video or both. Television content encoded in television signal feed 200 shall be referred to herein as the primary television content. The television content can be encoded into television signal feed 200 by television signal source device 130, or it can merely pass through that device already encoded. The primary television content can include programming of any sort (e.g., live, recorded, on-demand, broadcast, multicast, unicast, and so on). The primary television content often includes one or more non-targeted or targeted television advertisements (broadcast, multicast, or unicast), which can be inserted by television signal source device 130 or are already present in the primary television content by the time the television signal feed reaches that device. An example can include a STB uncompressing a broadcasted MPEG2 compressed 720p television program into a 720p uncompressed format, which is delivered from STB 130 to smart TV 100 via HDMI interface 135. The television program can include advertisements broadcasted as part of the program or advertisements inserted into the program by STB 130 (instead of or in addition to the broadcasted ads).
As also seen in FIG. 1, smart TV 100 also has its own connection 145 to computer network 140 through which smart TV 100 can be provided with online access, e.g., access to the Internet. Smart TV 100 can receive television content through computer network connection 145. Smart TV 100 also includes one or more computer processors or processor cores 110 and one or more computer memories 120 (collectively referred to hereinafter as the “smart TV computer” or simply “computer” 160) that enable it to receive, store, or process data or programming instructions. Such data and programming can be employed, e.g., to enable smart TV 100 to receive targeted television advertisements and to present them in place of non-targeted television advertisements that are part of the primary television content.
An example of a conventional method for inserting a targeted television advertisement into stream 200, shown in FIG. 2, of primary television content can be performed as follows using computer network connection 145 and smart TV computer 160. Smart TV 100 receives via computer network 140 electronic indicia of data representative of portions of the primary television content. First data 103 represents the portion of the primary television content intended to be replaced (e.g., typically a non-targeted advertisement; referred to as the “to-be-replaced content” or simply “replaced content” 203); other data 102 represents a portion of the primary television content that immediately precedes replaced content 203 (referred to as the “preceding content” 202; e.g., another advertisement or a portion of programming content). Smart TV 100 receives via computer network 140 electronic indicia of second data 105 representative of secondary television content (e.g., typically a targeted advertisement; referred to as “replacement content” 205). Using computer 160, smart TV 100 automatically (i) monitors the television signal feed 200 it receives from television signal source 130 to detect or otherwise determine the end of preceding content 202 and (ii) presents after preceding content 202, using second data 105, replacement content 205 instead of replaced content 203. Once replacement content 205 is presented, smart TV 100 can revert to presentation of the primary television content. In another example, smart TV 100 determines the end of preceding content 202 by identifying a signal or cue sent as part of feed 200. The signal or cue could be embedded in preceding content 202 (such as in the last frame of preceding content 202 for example) or in the gap between preceding content 202 and replaced content 203 or in the beginning of replaced content 203.
In all cases discussed herein, data streams like first data 103 can comprise a so-called “fingerprint” of one or more portions of the primary television content (e.g., a digital video fingerprint generated in any suitable way), a compressed digital encoding of one or more portions of the primary television content, a raw, uncompressed encoding of one or more portions of the primary television content, or other suitable representative data that enables smart TV 100 to identify the corresponding television content in television signal feed 200 (i.e., replaced 203 or preceding 202 content). If a fingerprint of the primary television content is employed, it can be generated according to any one of several known techniques or protocols. One example of a fingerprint of a segment of television content can rely on sampling within every video frame of that segment of the television content. Smart TV 100, or a central server in possession of the segment samples, can compare the samples of the segment with a sample taken by smart TV 100 from television signal feed 200. Based on that comparison, smart TV 100 or the central server can recognize a specific frame within the segment. Likewise, the second data can comprise any suitable compressed or uncompressed encoding of the secondary television content (i.e., replacement content 205). Different or parallel compression protocols can be used for first 103 and second 105 data. If a fingerprint of the primary television content is employed for first data 103, it can be generated according to any one of several known techniques or protocols (one example can include taking a sample of audio, video, or both from TV feed 200 and comparing it with an equivalent sample of known content). A given fingerprint of television content can be generated based on both video and audio portions of that content, on the video portion only, or on the audio portion only.
In some other examples (in which fingerprints are not employed or employed partially), smart TV 100 receives via Internet 140 first 103 or second 105 data in, e.g., MPEG4 or other compressed format. The compressed format saves bandwidth so as to enable the parallel transmission of a multitude of different targeted ads to a multitude of corresponding households watching television simultaneously. In one example, entire advertisements (not just portions; the preceding, replaced, and targeted advertisements) are sent to smart TV 100, which then uncompresses the three advertisements. The uncompressed preceding ad 202 is compared with uncompressed television signal feed 200 transmitted from STB 130, e.g., via HDMI. At the end of preceding ad 202, uncompressed, targeted, replacement advertisement 205 is inserted by smart TV 100 in place of replaced advertisement 203. While presenting targeted, replacement advertisement 205, smart TV 100 monitors television signal feed 200 for changes in replaced advertisement 203 by comparing feed 200 with replaced advertisement 203 received over the Internet 140. Alternatively, instead of comparing uncompressed television signal feed 200 and received advertisements, smart TV 100 instead can compress television signal feed 200 and do the comparisons described above using compressed television signal feed 200 and received advertisements.
The example methods and systems described above create a technical problem relating to viewer control. Typically, television signal source device 130 mediates viewer control of the presentation of the primary television content. Various user-control actions can be executed through television signal source device 130, whether by direct manipulation (e.g., pushing buttons on a STB), or by use of a remote control or auxiliary device 150 (e.g., a tablet or smartphone software application controlling the STB). Examples of user-control actions executed through television signal source device 130 can include a channel change or a display change.
A channel change denotes switching among multiple different streams of distinct broadcast, multicast, unicast, or locally stored television content that can be live, prerecorded, time-shifted, or on-demand. A display change can include: (i) a so-called “trick mode” (e.g.: fast forward at various speeds such as 4×, 8×, 32×, or other; rewind or fast reverse at various speeds such as 4×, 8×, 32×, or other; pause or resume; or skipping forward or backward by various specified time intervals, numbers of frames, or scenes); (ii) loop, repeat, or replay; (iii) slow motion or stop action; (iv) changing the zoom, stretch, or aspect ratio; (v) changing viewing angle or other 3D viewing parameter(s); (vi) changing between, e.g., “standard,” “movie,” “sports,” “game,” or other display presets; or (vii) changing backlight, contrast, brightness, color, tint sharpness, color temperature, or other picture quality parameters.
Such user-control actions, when executed through television signal source device 130, affect television signal feed 200, which in turn affects the presentation by smart TV 100 of the primary television content. In that capacity, smart TV 100 acts as a passive presentation device, becoming “active” (i.e., directly affecting the presentation of television content) only when it presents a replacement advertisement or other replacement television content 205. Note that some display changes can also be executed using smart TV 100 (e.g., items (iv)-(vii) listed above, or even items (i)-(iii) if smart TV 100 has sufficient memory 120 or buffering capabilities), even when presenting television content provided by television signal source device 130 via television signal feed 200. However, only those display changes executed through television signal source device 130 are considered for purposes of the present disclosure.
Because user-control actions, when executed through television signal source device 130, affect only television signal feed 200 from television signal source device 130, such user-control actions ordinarily would have no discernible effect on any replacement television content 205 being presented on smart TV display 101. In other words, in conventional techniques, if a viewer attempts to execute a control action during presentation of replacement content 205, the control action would appear disabled. The control action indeed would affect television signal feed 200 (fast forward, pause, etc.), but display 101 would continue to show replacement content 205, undisturbed by the control action. This state of affairs (i.e., seemingly ineffectual user-control actions) would persist until replacement content 205 finished showing, at which time presentation would revert to the primary television content (presumably modified, unbeknownst to the user, in compliance with the intervening user-control actions, or perhaps just the last user-control action).
It would be desirable to provide systems and methods that mitigate the problem described above.